Chess game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A chess-type game for simultaneous play by two or three players is disclosed. The gameboard includes a playing field formed of an array of like hexagonal playing spaces arranged in an equilateral configuration. Each side of the playing field is bounded by seven playing spaces and thus the playing field contains a total of 127 playing spaces. A tri-color arrangement of playing spaces is utilized to aid in determining correct game piece moves. Each player utilizes either a standard complement or a variational set of chess pieces. No novel chess pieces are defined or introduced. The patterns of moves obtainable by individual game pieces closely follow the patterns of movement of pieces in a conventional chess game.

United States Patent [191 Jenkins [451 Nov. 18, 1975 CHESS GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Daniel T. Jenkins, PO. Box 2013,

Olympia, Wash. 98507 [22] Filed: June 10, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 477,733

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 368,129, June 8,

1973, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl..... 273/131 AB; 273/131 F; 273/131 L [51] Int. Cl. A63F 3/02 [58] Field of Search 273/131 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,704,819 3/1929 Beaman 273/131 F 3,724,856 4/1973 Welch 273/131 AB OTHER PUBLICATIONS Hex; Aug., 1970; published by A. S. Braden, pp. 2-31 inclusive.

Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmSynnestvedt & Lechner 7] ABSTRACT A chess-type game for simultaneous play by two or three players is disclosed. The gameboard includes a playing field formed of an array of like hexagonal playing spaces'arranged in an equilateral configuration. Each side of the playing field is bounded by seven playing spaces and thus the playing field contains a total of 1127 playing spaces. A tri-color arrangement of playing spaces is utilized to aid in determining correct game-piece moves. Each player utilizes either a standard complement or a variational set of chess pieces. No novel chess pieces are defined or introduced. The patterns of moves obtainable by individual game pieces closely follow the patterns of movement "of pieces in a conventional chess game.

2-Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet10f3 3,920,247

US. Patent Nov. 18,- 1975 Sheet20f3 3,920,247

U.S'. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet3 0f3 3,920,247

qrs

CHESS GAME APPARATUS RELATED CASE This application is acontinuation-in-part of my prior application Ser. No. 368,129, filed June 8, 1973, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to amusement devices and particularly to games having a playing board and playing pieces movable thereover by opposing players in accordance with a set of rules.

Conventional chess which employs a rectangular board having 64 playing spaces and two complements of 16 playing pieces is, of course, a well-known game.

Recently, chess-type games playable by three players have been proposed. However, these previously proposed three-player games havehad several disadvantages, such as increased complexity of the game rules and increased difficulty in determining the proper movement of playing pieces. These disadvantages arise becausein some, the gameboard is divided into zones, or it contains irregularly shaped playing spaces or border zones, thereby requiring the game pieces to move along arcs or angled paths or to perform other nonconventional movements. These complexities attenuate the differences in skills between experienced and inexperienced players.

A chess game employing an hexagonal gameboard having two nonconventional complements of playing pieces is shown in British Patent No. 616,572. However, the gameboard shown in the noted British patent vutilizes six playing spaces on each side of the gameboard, thereby yielding only ninety-one playing spaces. This arrangement is believed to constrict game play among three players somewhat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention contemplates the use of a gameboard having an hexagonal playing field formed of BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gameboard in accordance with the present invention having complements of conventional and variational sets of playing pieces in the initial starting positions shown thereon.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation-of the gameboard of FIG. 1 showing the manner in which sets of playing pieces are arranged on the gameboard for a three-player game.

FIG. 3 shows schematically the arrangement of playing pieces on the gameboard of FIG. 1 for two players.

FIG. 4 shows the movement of pawn, knight, and rook playing pieces on the gameboard.

FIG. 5 shows the movement of the bishop, queen, and king playing pieces on the gameboard.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown therein a gameboard 10 which preferably has an equilateral hexagonal configuration. A playing field is delineated on a surface of the gameboard and is comprised of a plurality of contiguous playing spaces 12. Each of the playing spaces 12 is in the shape of an equilateral hexagon and all of the playing spaces are the same size. The playing spaces 12 are arranged so that the perimetral configuration of the playing field is an equilateral hexagon having seven playing spaces along each side edge, thereby defining a playing field having a total of 127 playing spaces. The playing spaces 12 are positioned so that the playing space disposed at each of the six corners 14 of the playing field has one of its side edges perpendicular to an imaginary line bisecting the'corner.

an array of hexagonal playing spaces. Each opposing player utilizes either a standard complement or a variational set (which is subsequently described) of chess pieces. The game can accommodate two or three opposing players and the patterns of movement of the game pieces are linear and analogous to conventional 'pattems.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a chess-type game playable by three players.

It is another object of this invention to provide a chess-type game for three players wherein the playing spaces of the gameboard are arranged so that the patterns of movement of the playing pieces follow closely the patterns of movement of pieces in a conventional chess game.

It isalso an object of this invention to provide a gameboard for a chess-type game playable by two or three opposing players which has a regular field of play, has no subdivisions or specially shaped playing spaces between zones, allows linear movement of the playing pieces, and retains the ranking of the playing pieces the same as the ranking of pieces in a conventional chess game.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a gameboard wherein the patterns of movement of the playing pieces are more easily determined.

For purposes of definition and description, the following terms will be used hereinafter to describe the alignments of the playing spaces. A row of playing spaces means a linear alignment of playing spaces wherein at least one side edge of a playing space is contiguous to a next adjacent playing space in the alignment, as shown by the arrow R in FIG. '1. A chain" of playing spaces 12 is formed by a linear arrangement of playing spaces wherein the sides of the playing spaces are not contiguous to the next adjacent playing spaces in the alignment, as shown by the arrows C C and C in FIG. 1.

A tri-color differentiating system is utilized to differentiate the playing spaces 12. Thus it can be seen with reference to FIG. 1 that the playing spaces 12 are of three different colors. It should be noted that the lining of the playing spaces as shown in FIG. 1 is not meant to indicate any particular colors, but rather to show the pattern of differentiation of the playingspaces. The pattern of playing spaces is that the playing spaces in one chain are all of the same color and that in any group of three adjacent, contiguous chains, the color of the playing spaces in each of the chains is different from the color of the playing spaces in the other two 1 chains. The pattern of coloring the chains is repeated in a regular fashion and thus, considering the three colors to be color 1, color 2, and color 3, the arrangement of parallel chains starting from one comer is l 2 3 l 2 3 l etc. This also results in a repetitive series of the three colors of playing spaces in any row. The purpose of differentiating the playing spaces in this fashion will be hereinafter discussed in connection with the movement of the game pieces.

Referring again to FIG. 1, there is a schematically shown representation of a plurality of chess playing pieces 16. The playing pieces 16 form either a standard complement of chess playing pieces 17 or a variational set 18. The standard set 17 consists of eight pawns, (designated P), two rooks (designated R), two knights (designated N), two bishops (designated B), one queen (designated Q), and one king (designated K). At the start of play, the playing pieces are positioned as shown in FIG. I. It should be noted that the bishop on one side of the queen, for instance the left side as shown, is placed ahead of the knight, and is placed behind the knight on the opposite side of the queen. This is done so that the bishops of one player move along two differently colored chains. The variational set 18 consists of seven pawns, two rooks, two knights, three bishops, one queen, and one king. At the start of play, the playing pieces are positioned as shown in FIG. 1. The bishops of one player therefore move along three differently colored chains. It should be realized that the game includes either standard sets of playing pieces 17 for all opposing players, or variational sets of playing pieces 18 for all opposing players in any particular game, and that each set is differentiated from the other sets, for instance, by color.

When three players are to play the game, the game pieces are set up in accordance with the pattern shown in FIG. 2, with the initial arrays of pieces in nonadjacent corners 14. If two players are to play, the initial arrays 15 are set up in opposing corners 14, of the playing field, as shown in FIG. 3. These two players may mask off the outermostring of hexagonal playing spaces and thus employ a smaller regular hexagonal playing surface of 91 spaces.

Utilization of the gameboard, as heretofore described, allows the following patterns of movement for the playing pieces.

With reference to FIG. 4, the movements of pawns P are along rows of playing spaces 12 which are parallel to the row that connects their kings corner to the op posite corner of the board. The pawn moves forward one space at a time, as demonstrated by P2. Each pawn has a two-move option on its first move, as in conventional chess. This option is demonstrated by P1. The pawn captures by making a forward diagonal movement. P4 demonstrates the two possible capture movements from its present position. P5 demonstrates the one possible capture movement from its present position. As in conventional chess, when a pawn reaches either of the edges of the playing field which meet at an opposite corner, it acquires the option of becoming any other type of piece except a king.

The rook movement is along rows. Thus, again refer ring to FIG. 4, the rook R can move along any of the six rows r r r r r and r radiating from the playing space it occupies. v

The knight N moves two spaces along any of the six rows radiating from the playing space on which it is positioned and then continues to move one more space to either of two playing spaces which are spaced forward of and at an angle of 60 from the original direction of movement as shown by the arrows n n n n n and u in FIG. 4. The knight may jump intervening pieces as in conventional chess.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bishop B moves along any of the six chains radiating from the playing space on' which it is positioned as indicated ,by the arrows b,, b b b b and b This piece comes to rest on a playing space and not on lines connecting the playing spaces in the chain. When travelling along a chain, the bishop 4 may pass between other game pieces, such as those designated X in FIG. 5. I

Referring also to FIG. 5, the queen piece Q, as in conventional chess, combines the moves of the bishop B and rook R and thus can move in 12 directions along the rows and chains radiating from the playing space on which the game piece is positioned as shown by the ar-. rows q, through q Referring also to FIG. 5, the king playing piece K moves one playing space along any row or chain radiating from the playing space on which the piece is positioned, as shown by the arrows k through k If in check, a player must remain in that condition until he regains his turn to move.

Thus it can be seen that the playing pieces 16 move along the playing spaces in a manner closely approximating the pattern of movement of pieces in a conventional chess game. It should also be noted that the pat- .tern of coloring of the playing spaces is conducive to determining the proper direction of travel of the game pieces. Movement of pieces along rows, such as the movements of the pawns P, the rooks R, the knights N, and the row movements of the queens and the kings, are relatively easily determined because the rows form corridors along which the pieces move. However, with respect to the movement of pieces along chains, such as the movement of the bishops and the chain movements of the queens and the kings, (which are the equivalent of diagonal moves, in conventional chess), these are more difficult to determine. However, as can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, game pieces which move along a chain move along playing spaces which are the same. color as the playing space on which that piece is rest-. ing. This aids in determining more easily the paths of movement of these playing pieces. Similarly, it should be noted that the terminal playing space for the knight piece is always different from the color space on which the knight initially rested. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the

knight piece moves one space in a direction 60 from its initial direction of travel to one of two spaces of a color different from the color of the playing space on which it initially rested.

A chess-type game can be played by two or three opponents, utilizing the rules governing the movement of playing pieces as heretofore described. When the game is played by two opposing players, the game ends as in.

conventional chess in either a checkmate, astalemate, a resignation, or a draw. With three opposing players, it has been found that the following game play yields the best results. When one players king is checkmated by I either or both of the opponents, the king is removed from the board, as in conventional chess, but that players remaining pieces retain their positions on the mences, the players should agree upon the method for ending the game. The first player to move may be decided by chance.

The chess game heretofore disclosed has many desirable advantages. It allows a two or three-player game to be played on the same gameboard. The freedom of movement of the game pieces is less restrictive than in* conventional chess and somewhat less grid-like, and al- I lows greater latitude, of movement of pieces. Relative skills of players are more evenly balanced, especially in the three-player game, because of the greater latitude in movement of playing pieces and because of the chance factor introduced by the presence of the third player.

I claim:

1. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral hexagonal peripheral configuration and having a pattern of hexagonal playing spaces of substantially uniform size on one surface thereof and having the tri-color arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, and at least two visually distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each piece being of a size to be received within one of said spaces.

2. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral hexagonal array of playing spaces of substantially uniform size delineated on a surface thereof, all of the playing spaces being of equilateral hexagonal configuration, each playing space being contiguous entirely along each of its edges with all next adjacent playing spaces, the array being comprised of a plurality of parallel chains of said playing spaces, the array having seven playing spaces forming each edge of the array, and differentiating means for differentiating playing spaces in one chain from playing spaces in next adjacent chains, the differentiating means comprising a regularly alternating three-color pattern, every third chain in the array of chains being the same color and the playing spaces at all the vertices of the array of playing spaces being all of the same color, and at least two visually distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each piece being of a size to be received within one of said spaces. 

1. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral hexagonal peripheral configuration and having a pattern of hexagonal playing spaces of substantially uniform size on one surface thereof and having the tri-color arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, and at least two visually distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each piece being of a size to be received within one of said spaces.
 2. A game apparatus comprising a gameboard having an equilateral hexagonal array of playing spaces of substantially uniform size delineated on a surface thereof, all of the playing spaces being of equilateral Hexagonal configuration, each playing space being contiguous entirely along each of its edges with all next adjacent playing spaces, the array being comprised of a plurality of parallel chains of said playing spaces, the array having seven playing spaces forming each edge of the array, and differentiating means for differentiating playing spaces in one chain from playing spaces in next adjacent chains, the differentiating means comprising a regularly alternating threecolor pattern, every third chain in the array of chains being the same color and the playing spaces at all the vertices of the array of playing spaces being all of the same color, and at least two visually distinguishable sets of playing pieces, each piece being of a size to be received within one of said spaces. 